Michelle Nixon, You Remind Me of Blue Sky

Artist: Michelle Nixon

Title: You Remind Me of Blue Sky

Medium: Watercolor

Unframed Dimensions: 24 x 18 inches

Framed Dimensions: 30 x 24 inches

Price: $1000

Artist Statement: This painting was created using reference photos and inspiration from the generous Artist Residency I attended with the Center for LDS Arts in New York last year. There are so many people and so many lives in that great city. I went expecting anonymity; I was surprised by how many moments of connection there were. I pictured heads down and brisk walking, but what I saw was a collection of the acknowledgments of shared humanity—and brisk walking. In this painting, I’m interested in the way people and the sky mirror each other: The way we both carry brightness and insist on existing above the darkness that surrounds us. Shadows are honest—they reveal the height and the density of the city and show us what is light—but the sky is honest, too. It shows us possibilities.

Artist Bio: Michelle Nixon earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Art with a double major in Sociology from Brigham Young University and later completed a master’s degree in the Sociology of Aesthetics. Her paintings have been featured in national and international juried exhibitions, including awards in the National Watercolor Society (NWS) International Exhibition from 2022 through 2025, where she received a top award in 2022.

In 2025, Nixon received an American Watercolor Society award, Best of Show in Utah’s largest plein air event, Best of Show in the Utah Watercolor Society’s Spring Exhibition, a Juror’s Award in Utah’s Statewide Annual Exhibition, and a Purchase Award at the Springville Museum of Art. She is a signature member of the National Watercolor Society (NWS), the Western Federation of Watercolor Societies (WFWS), and the Utah Watercolor Society (UWS).

Nixon was selected for the 2024 Artist Residency at the Center for Latter-day Saint Arts in New York City and has been recognized for her contributions to the plein air community. Her work and insights have been featured in Watercolor Artist Magazine, Plein Air Magazine, and Pratiques des Arts Magazine. She also served as an awards judge for the Women in Watercolor International Exhibition.

Nixon lives in Hyde Park, Utah, with her husband, daughter, and four sons.